


silver nights (with you)

by seungminis



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: ALSO I KINDA DID A LOT OF EXPERIMENTATION, Airports, And I kinda threw this together in less than a week whoops, Best Friends to Lovers, Christmas Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, Minho's mentioned for like a millisecond whoops, Mistletoe, On Christmas, They're best friends, also i waxed poetic and did a lot of introspection, and there's, cameos from the mahna mahna song, chanathan!! i know you're watching, enjoy!!, hola senor :)), like it's my first time writing in present tense, merry christmas everyone :D, okay so i did a seungjin 👉👈, seungmin dissociates because he's flustered, so they celebrate it together, so yeah don't mind that, teensy weensy bit of, trapped in an airport because of a blizzard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28309803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seungminis/pseuds/seungminis
Summary: It’s the last minute of the night before Christmas when the scratchy intercom of the airport comes on with a chime. Hyunjin looks up from where he’s playing Superstar JYP (and failing) on his phone.“Attention all passengers: all flights have been canceled for now. We’ll wait until the storm lets up and get everyone on the next possible flight to their destinations. Refunds will be provided if you see fit. We apologize for the inconvenience, and oh- Merry Christmas.”or: childhood best friends Hyunjin and Seungmin aren’t able to figure out/understand their feelings for each other, but being snowed in at an airport on Christmas day puts it all into perspective.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin
Comments: 23
Kudos: 101





	silver nights (with you)

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone! i'm back with ~another seungjin oneshot~ except this time we make it fancy holiday aesthetic-y :D
> 
> this oneshot is inspired by the song silver nights by sabrina carpenter so i recommend listening to that while reading, and also can't say i'm in love by r5 also fits the vibe of the fic as well (though that's only on youtube)
> 
> and thank you to lily @LilithStarlight for beta-reading the final product and to carrot @resident_riot for being a gr8 cousin and reading the first 5k words uwu <33
> 
> dedicated to every single one of yall, for reading this <3 i hope you guys stay happy and well!! and i'm glad i started publishing fics on here! it's been a wild year and i'm excited for what works will come to the ao3 tags in the years to come! i'm excited to read them :)). i hope you enjoy this christmas present for yall that i kinda threw together in a week !! i experimented a lot with my style of writing for this one so i really hope it turned out okay!! happy holidays <33
> 
> im a fast typer so i make a lot of mistakes when i type so lmk if there's a typo i didn't catch!

When Hyunjin and Seungmin said they were going to spend their Christmas eve flying back to Texas from New York City to meet and celebrate the holidays with the rest of their friends and family, they didn’t expect that Christmas un-miracles would occur. 

It's 11:35 PM on Christmas Eve and the two young men stand in the middle of a confused crowd at the airport gate as their flight delays for the third time that day. The warm white and yellow lights of the airport’s Christmas decorations shed their mild glow upon the two as people bustled around them, trying to get information about their flights as the blizzard outside kept pouring down relentlessly, not showing signs of letting up enough for travel anytime soon. 

Both of them are still processing that it was the night before Christmas and at this rate, they may not make it in time to spend the holiday with everyone they cared about, and it’s kind of upsetting.

Hyunjin’s shoulders slump in defeat as his fingers curl around the handle of his black roller bag. “Another two hours,” he mutters to the boy standing next to him, who seemed equally as disoriented with the overload of sensory input happening at that particular moment. Seungmin nods half-heartedly, mind somewhere else, “So we wait again?” 

Hyunjin hums, “I suppose so. Let’s go find a place to sit.” 

As they scout the general vicinity for chairs, Hyunjin can’t help but curse the lords above for potentially wrecking their plans for Christmas, and he can’t help but wonder how they even ended up in this situation.

Does he blame the fact that New York snows a  _ lot _ during the winter, or does he blame the fact that he and Seungmin chose to go to NYU for college? He decides to blame the former reason, as the latter was a memory that Hyunjin held very dear to his heart. He and Seungmin had been best friends for as long as Hyunjin could remember; in fact, at one point, they decided “best friends” wasn’t enough to describe their relationship with each other. They were soulmates, they knew each other like the back of their hand from the small moles on each other’s face to their deepest darkest secrets. 

They were inseparable, and Hyunjin  _ adored _ Seungmin -- the younger boy was his other half. So when Hyunjin and Seungmin applied to colleges, both of them having their sights set on NYU and the University of Washington, and they both ended up getting accepted into the former college, they decided that yes, they would go to college together. 

Hyunjin distinctly remembers the night they got accepted -- Jisung was hosting a party in his backyard back at home and then Felix shrieked loudly upon seeing an email notification from NYU and everyone who applied opened their emails. Hyunjin and Seungmin exchanged a nervous look with each other, as this was their dream school they were about to find out the results for, and they squeezed each other’s hands tight as they opened the application portal and received confetti upon checking their status update. Hyunjin gasped and Seungmin’s eyes sparkled with excitement under the glow of Jisung’s backyard lights. “I got in,” They said at the same time before giggling and embracing each other, a warm unrecognizable feeling shooting up Hyunjin’s spine as they did so.

It was one of his favorite memories, so yeah, he’s just going to blame New York weather instead of his life decisions. 

“Jinnie, anyone in there?” 

Hyunjin snaps out of his nostalgia-induced daze due to Seungmin tapping him on the shoulder and pointing at two empty seats near the windows of the airport underneath the warm holiday lights hanging from the ceiling. The two make their way over, sitting in the chair and looking out the airport window at the snow piling up on the runways. Seungmin rests his head on Hyunjin’s jacket-padded shoulder as Hyunjin shivers, partly from the chill emanating from the windows, partly from the warm tingly feeling in his shoulder -- that one feeling that only came when he touched Seungmin (it‘s like flying too close to the Sun, Hyunjin knows he shouldn’t fixate too much on it because this is his  _ best friend _ , but that warmth is special, and Hyunjin can’t resist inching closer) . Seungmin smiles at the action and he asks, “It’s chilly, do you want some hot cocoa, Jinnie?” 

Hyunjin smiles, “Ooh, yes that would be great! I’ll pay you back” 

Seungmin shrugs, smiling mischeviously, like a black lab ready to play fetch, “I’ll just add it to the one hundred dollars you already owe me.” 

With that, Seungmin lifts his head from Hyunjin’s shoulder and gets up, heading towards the nearby coffee shops, and the tingly feeling leaves Hyunjin’s shoulder quickly, and his heart aches because he wants that warm feeling back. It just feels so  _ right. _ There’s no other way to describe it. 

Once again, he can’t place a name on the feeling he feels towards the younger boy he sees walking towards a Starbucks, so in the meantime, he pulls out the blanket he has in his backpack and wraps himself in it, pretending that it’s Seungmin.

It isn’t the same as the feeling of actually having physical contact with the younger, and Hyunjin is  _ definitely  _ being dramatic about it all, but it’ll have to do.

* * *

Seungmin hums to his favorite Day6 song as he waits in the incredibly long line of nameless faces that all wanted to get Starbucks (probably a. to cheer themselves up about this whole ordeal b. to sustain their coffee addiction or c. because they were like Seungmin and Hyunjin also sitting by the cold windows -- seriously it was warm everywhere else but the areas by the freaking windows).

His phone pings and Seungmin digs into the pocket of his Homer Simpson hoodie where he had his phone stored and pulls out the device, only to see he’s gotten a new message from Hyunjin.

**11:45 PM || Dec 24**

**ew, [platonic] soulmates 🤮 (2)**

**mahna mahna:**

bitch

*minnie

**do do do do do :**

what bitch

*jinnie

**mahna mahna:**

i’m bored come back

**do do do do do:**

same same

but hot cocoa >>>>

:0

**mahna mahna:**

yeah okay worth a shot

**do do do do do:**

we can talk doe 

do you think we’ll make it for christmas

**mahna mahna:**

mmm not sure

do you think minho hyung and chan hyung will skin our asses if we miss it

**do do do do do:**

oh definitely

it was nice knowing you but after tomorrow we’re roadkill 🤙

From where Seungmin’s standing in line he can still see Hyunjin’s blonde head of hair look down and his shoulders shake with giggles, and upon the sight of that, Seungmin’s heart bursts into a bundle of warmth as a smile finds its way to his lips. 

He doesn’t know why, but seeing Hyunjin smile makes him smile. It always has, since the two first met right before the first day of Kindergarten. They were both bright and doe eyed, still holding on to their mother’s hands everywhere they went, when Seungmin’s family first moved in next door to Hyunjin’s. The two hid behind the shelter of their dads as their parents introduced themselves to each other, before their moms introduced the two boys to each other and told them to play.

They were both very awkward around each other at first, kicking rocks as they trudged around Hyunjin’s backyard before Seungmin asked, “You wanna hear a joke?” 

Hyunjin’s eyes had lit up at the idea of it as he eagerly nodded, and Seungmin smiled playfully, “What do you call three ducks in a box?” 

“I dunno,” Hyunjin shrugged, and Seungmin grinned, “A box of quackers!” 

Hyunjin and Seungmin then burst out into laughter, having no taste in good humor at the time, and Seungmin couldn’t help but feel all proud and happy and  _ warm  _ for making someone laugh like that, and since then that warm feeling intensified as the two went through the twelve brutal years of grade school together, becoming something far more meaningful than pride. Seungmin would make Hyunjin smile and his heart would blaze with warmth as he did so.

He never knew what that feeling was, and to be frank, he still doesn’t, but it was addicting regardless. He wanted to make Hyunjin smile like that for the rest of his life. They were platonic soulmates after all.

Seungmin’s phone pings again and Hyunjin’s sent a response: 

**mahna mahna:**

SDJKF LMAOOOO

at least if we go down we go down together 

i’m that one dead bird and you’re a dead rodent

**do do do do do:**

you r a t 

**mahna mahna:**

well technically, you’re the rat, i’m a bird

ca caw mfer

**do do do do do:**

i- 

touche

**mahna mahna:**

:) jkjk yk ily

**do do do do do:**

jskfldf ily2

**mahna mahna:**

line’s moved btw, get off your phone

**do do do do do:**

oH-

Seungmin looks up and quickly moves forward in line after realizing there was a gap between him and the person in front of him. He looked over at where Hyunjin was sitting by the window, looking at the lights on the runway light up the snow in the night, and Hyunjin’s eyes meet his as he breaks out into a wide grin and waves mischeviously.

Seungmin’s heart feels like it’s on fire again as he waves back. Hyunjin points at the line again and Seungmin looks forward.

Oh, it’s moving. Whoops.

**

It’s the last minute of the night before Christmas when the scratchy intercom of the airport comes on with a chime. Hyunjin looks up from where he’s playing Superstar JYP (and failing) on his phone.

“ _ Attention all passengers: all flights have been canceled for now. We’ll wait until the storm lets up and get everyone on the next possible flight to their destinations. Refunds will be provided if you see fit. We apologize for the inconvenience, and oh- Merry Christmas.” _

Hyunjin sighs. By this time, Seungmin’s returning with two hot cocoas, one in each hand and his lips pursed into a thin line. He hands Hyunjin his hot cocoa as he flops down in the seat next to him and takes a small sip of his hot cocoa, grimacing when he realizes that the hot cocoa is more like scalding cocoa to his tongue.

“Merry Christmas, Jinnie. Hope you like the gift of a canceled flight.” Seungmin mumbles.

Hyunjin sighs, “Looks like we’re not making it home this year.” 

Seungmin nods, “Sadly.”    
  


It had always been tradition for all the families on Seungmin and Hyunjin’s street to gather for nightly Christmas celebrations every year. Hyunjin was fortunate enough to have seven other kids around his age living on his street that he could hang out with. They started as shy elementary schoolers, when Hyunjin and Seungmin were both five and they grew into an inseparable group of friends. Chan and Minho were the eldest of the pack, in a loving relationship with each other, and they acted as interim parents, Changbin was the third oldest, a listening ear for anyone who wanted to talk and a big baby, Jisung and Felix were the meme twins from different parents (and also dating each other), and Jeongin was the youngest, and a roasting master. Despite all of them taking their separate paths, the holidays were always their time to come back together and talk their mouths off all night while laying in the treehouse in Changbin’s backyard and looking at the stars.

Now, they’re going to miss that fun tradition, and it pained the both of them.

Hyunjin’s phone rings and it snaps the two out of their misery, as it’s a video call from Minho. Hyunjin accepts and Seungmin rests his head on Hyunjin’s shoulder (making both of them feel warm and tingly again) so both of them are visible on Hyunjin’s side of the call. Minho’s face appears too close to the camera before it zooms out and they see the Twice poster that Changbin had hung in his treehouse. 

“Where are you two? You’re usually here by now.”

Seungmin sighs from Hyunjin’s shoulder, “We’re still in the airport.” 

Minho’s lips purse, “Oh no. There’s a blizzard there, right?”

Hyunjin nods, “Yeah. Our flight was canceled, so it looks like we’re not getting out of here any time soon.”

Minho sighs, “We… ry… call… yo… ant…” 

Seungmin’s brows furrow, “What? Hyung, you’re breaking up.” 

Minho tries to speak again before the call cuts off and the two best friends deflate in defeat even more, Seungmin murmurs, “Well, the wi-fi’s shit too. Best Christmas ever.” 

Hyunjin’s hand finds Seungmin’s hand and gently strokes it, sending warmth blooming up Seungmin’s arm, as he uses the other to pick up his cup of cocoa and drink out of it, “Well, we could make the most of it.” 

Seungmin lifts his head off of Hyunjin’s shoulder, his black bangs falling in his face, “Okay… what do you mean?” 

Hyunjin smiles, “Well, you’re not tired right?” 

Seungmin shrugs, “Yeah, not anymore.” 

“Well, we could freshen up in the bathroom, wear something more cozy, and celebrate Christmas here. It’s not as fun as back home, but it’ll be the two of us, and it’ll be fun! I promise you.” 

Seungmin smiles in return, “I mean, I don’t see why not.”    
  


Hyunjin claps his hands excitedly as he pulls Seungmin into a hug, causing Seungmin’s heart to jump through fiery hoops, “Yay! Let’s do it.” 

* * *

It’s 12:15 in the morning of Christmas and Hyunjin walks out of a bathroom stall, having freshened up before entering and now having changed to more comfortable clothes, settling for a sports jacket over a tshirt and sports pants. He quickly rinses off his hands and finds his luggage in the corner of the bathroom as he waits for Seungmin who exits shortly after in a blue hoodie, jeans and slides.

(Hyunjin doesn’t know why, but seeing the sleeves of the hoodie be slightly too big for Seungmin’s arms makes his heart gush with fondness and the desire to just squeeze the life out of the younger boy. It’s strange and Hyunjin still doesn’t know what this feeling is, but he decides he likes it.)

Hyunjin slings his backpack over his shoulder casually, as he holds his hand out for Seungmin’s freshly rinsed hands to take, “Ready to celebrate sir?” Hyunjin asks and Seungmin giggles, causing Hyunjin’s heart to skip a beat.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” 

* * *

It’s three in the morning and Hyunjin and Seungmin find themselves on the third floor of the airport as they look below on all the shops and the gargantuan Christmas trees. They decided to just talk to each other until the airport was a little more bustling. They sit and lean against the railings on the third floor’s overlook as they chat about funny college stories from during their times apart that they forgot to bring up to each other (the two, despite being inseparable best friends, weren’t roommates), and they’ve been doing so for three hours or so. 

Hyunjin laughs loudly as Seungmin finishes up his story, leaning on the younger’s chest for support as he does so, and Seungmin smiles fondly at the elder.

“Yeah, so he’s banned from ever going there again.” 

“Oh my goodness,” Hyunjin wheezes, “I wish I was there!” 

Seungmin nods as his hands find his way to Hyunjin’s hair, carding through it as he responds softly, fondly, “Yeah I wish you were there too.”

Hyunjin smiles up at Seungmin and suddenly, time feels like it’s frozen. The airport intercom with it’s “lost baggage” announcements ends up being tuned out, and the boys’ smiles fade to stunned expressions as the two of them get lost in each other’s eyes. Seungmin’s heart is banging like a bass drum against his ribcage as he notices the galaxy the holiday lights hanging above them create in Hyunjin’s dark eyes. He notices how milky smooth and flawless Hyunjin’s skin is, how that one wisp of blond hair falls out of his ponytail and Seungmin fights back the desire to caress his face and tuck the wisp back where it belongs. 

_ He’s beautiful _ , Seungmin thinks. He doesn’t mean it in any particular way -- he’s just making an obvious observation. He concludes that he’s lucky to see someone everyday and hang out with a person who’s so beautiful inside and out. 

As he dwells on it, that unrecognizable feeling returns again, burning Seungmin’s cheeks as he can’t tear his eyes away from Hyunjin and Hyunjin can’t tear his eyes away from him. 

_ “Attention all passengers-” _

The announcement snaps the two out of their daze and Seungmin places a hand on his impossibly warm face to cool it down as Hyunjin sits back upright, laughing nervously. 

Maybe it was the cold of the air vent they were sitting under, prickling at his cheeks to cause the rosy red color.

Yes, it was the cold. Nothing more. 

* * *

It’s four in the morning when Seungmin and Hyunjin pick up their bags and decide to go see if there’s anything interesting happening that they can participate in, and fortunately for them, there’s a movie theater inside this airport that’s showing Frozen II this early in the morning. 

Hyunjin watches as Seungmin’s eyes light up in excitement and he turns to Hyunjin with what Hyunjin can only call the human personification of the pleading face emoji, “Do you want to watch a movie?” 

Seungmin looks like an angel right there and then, in Hyunjin’s opinion. His jet black hair makes his honey skin glow even brighter some how, his rosy pink lips jut out a little in a small, playful pout, and his puppy-like eyes are shining with enthusiasm. Hyunjin can’t say no to an angel, right?

_ Jeez, what is this feeling? _

Hyunjin smiles affectionately, “Sure.” 

Seungmin claps his hands excitedly (in tiny, Hyunjin notices as his heart aches) and the two enter the small airport movie theater. Seungmin decides he’ll pay for the tickets, though Hyunjin insists that since Seungmin paid for their hot cocoa, he should pay for the movie tickets. Seungmin merely responds by lightly placing his sweater-pawed hand over Hyunjin’s lush lips and smiling: 

“I’ve got it, Jinnie. It’s not a big deal”.

Hyunjin flushes as that tingly feeling returns, dancing across Hyunjin’s lips -- he doesn’t know why -- as Seungmin pulls out his wallet and pays for two general admission tickets to the showing of Frozen II.

Turns out, the two are the only two people in the theater and Hyunjin particularly likes it. It’s just him, and Seungmin and the big screen. They set their carry ons in the aisle, and Seungmin holds a bucket of popcorn that he purchased between the two of them. The movie begins to play as they both dig into the popcorn bucket, their hands brushing against each other and sending a shock through Hyunjin’s fingers. Seungmin quickly retracts his hand with a giggle as he sheepishly apologizes and Hyunjin ruffles the youngers hair with his free hand, telling him it was fine. 

And they’re stuck again. Hyunjin can’t help but fixate on Seungmin as the younger boy watches the movie intently. His now messed up hair makes him look even softer than he already is (somehow -- Hyunjin dubs this as a really minor Christmas miracle) and sees the mole on Seungmin’s left cheek and the minor pout that always rested on his lips.

And it’s beautiful.

His heart thuds in admiration. He doesn’t know what this feeling is at all, but as Seungmin rests his head on Hyunjin’s shoulder, like he has many times in the past, Hyunjin concludes, he’s lucky to have a platonic soulmate as ethereal as Seungmin. 

(Seungmin ends up snivelling a bit upon Olaf “dying” and he buries his face into Hyunjin’s jacket, taking the blonde by surprise. Well, the elder did know that Olaf was Seungmin’s favorite Frozen character, so it did make a bit of sense.

Hyunjin doesn’t mind though. He lets Seungmin stay there for a little, basking in the fire creeping up his neck.) 

* * *

It’s six in the morning when Hyunjin and Seungmin decide to get some caffeine hooked up to their veins. Seungmin finds himself in a line of nameless faces for the second time except now, Hyunjin’s arms are wrapped around Seungmin’s waist from behind as the elder boy hooks his chin on Seungmin’s shoulder. 

He knows people are staring - they most definitely are - but Seungmin doesn’t mind. He feels comfortable, at home, and so he ends up melting into his platonic soulmate’s hug. They’re not even doing it consciously. Hyunjin did it once and it eventually became a habit for the two.

They were fourteen years old and fresh into high school. They had lockers across the school from each other and at the end of their first day of freshman year, Hyunjin had made a beeline towards Seungmin’s locker across the school. Seungmin hadn’t expected anything to happen. He was merely placing the three textbooks he received in his locker as he listened to music. A smile was lingering on his face out of the excitement to find Hyunjin and tell him about his day, but before Seungmin could do that, a pair of arms wrapped around Seungmin from behind causing the boy to stiffen in surprise. 

“Guess who?” That familiar high-pitched voice that Seungmin knew too well sang, and Seungmin smiled, melting into the touch. “Hi Jinnie.”

He could hear the smile in Hyunjin’s voice as the elder greeted him in return.

Over time, as this pattern repeated itself, Seungmin could say with certainty that Hyunjin’s hugs felt like home. There was something about it. Maybe it was the emotional connection Seungmin had with Hyunjin, or it was the warmth that would intensify whenever Hyunjin hugged him, or the way Hyunjin would cling to him like he wouldn’t allow Seungmin to get hurt in any way possible.

  
Seungmin feels safe in Hyunjin’s arms. 

He shuffles forward, being sure to drag the human version of a koala that’s clinging to him along with him as he scrolls through whatever the limited Wi-Fi in the airport will give him. Hyunjin’s chin is still hooked on Seungmin’s shoulder as the elder looks at Seungmin’s social media feeds with him.

“Oh, there’s some Day6 stuff right there,” Hyunjin murmurs into Seungmin’s ears as the younger accidentally scrolls past a post. Seungmin backtracks and likes it, murmuring something about how Wonpil can step on him anytime. Hyunjin snickers as he shuffles forward, pushing Seungmin along with him. 

They end up at the front of the line and even as Seungmin orders lattes and Christmas cookies for the both of them, Hyunjin doesn’t let go of Seungmin. The barista notices, smiling fondly at the two of them. 

“You guys are such a cute couple,” she comments, with no harm intended, and Seungmin and Hyunjin are both taken by surprise. 

Seungmin’s cheeks burn a bright crimson. Of course, the two best friends were so close that people often mistook them for a couple, but it hadn’t happened a lot since the two entered college. 

And now it feels  _ weird _ .

There’s no other way to put it; Seungmin swears something is fluttering in his chest, probably his heart, and the sound of Hyunjin’s breaths near his ears fills his brain rendering him unable to process anything other than Hyunjin saying something in response to the barista and the barista saying something sheepishly in response. Seungmin doesn’t really know, it’s all coming off muffled to him.

Now his mind is filled with all things Hyunjin and Seungmin’s confused. He’s seeing Hyunjin through rose-lenses, romantic lights shedding down on the elder and it disorients him, mainly because he’s stunned. He’s stunned at the fact that seeing Hyunjin this way doesn’t bother him, and he’s so incredibly lost. 

“Minnie,” Hyunjin whispers and Seungmin snaps out of his panic-- he’s pretty sure he’s as red as a tomato now.

“Yeah?” Seungmin exhales as everything comes back into focus (but not one hundred percent) and he realizes that Hyunjin’s no longer hugging him, but instead is standing in front of him with a concerned expression on his face and Seungmin feels painfully cold. He shivers as Hyunjin grows even more concerned, wrapping his arm around Seungmin’s shoulder and leading him to a booth inside the small shop, and sitting him down there. Hyunjin then crouches down so he’s at Seungmin’s eye level. 

“Are you okay?” Hyunjin asks, “Your face is incredibly red, and you seem pretty out of it.”

Seungmin nods weakly, “Maybe I just need some coffee. My mind feels really fuzzy right now” 

Hyunjin nods, “I’ll go pick it up. Just take some deep breaths, okay? We can talk about it whenever you’re comfortable.”

Typical Hyunjin: the elder always looked out for those he cared about, and he especially cared about Seungmin, since they  _ were _ best friends after all. Seungmin rests his head on the table, cushioned by his hoodie’s sleeves as he watches Hyunjin receives their coffee and cookies with a smile.

His heart does a back handspring, and Seungmin feels exasperated at all the Olympic training it’s been doing in the past six hours. 

Why is he feeling this way?

* * *

It’s six-thirty in the morning and Hyunjin’s watching as Seungmin recovers from whatever happened in the line earlier. He’s concerned -- Seungmin had never been so disoriented before.

Seungmin half-heartedly nibbles on a star shaped sugar cookie and Hyunjin finds it endearing. He’s always found anything Seungmin does to be endearing

Seungmin’s mind seems to be anywhere else but here though. The younger’s dwelling on something that Hyunjin wants to know about but he also wants to respect Seungmin’s space. So he doesn’t say anything, holding the boy’s hand and running his thumb along the back of it, just to help ground the younger.

Hyunjin had gone through something similar where something triggers some kind of thought and it preoccupies him for a while, and Seungmin had been there to witness it first hand. One time Hyunjin had broke down and Seungmin sat there quietly, holding Hyunjin’s hand as Hyunjin cried for thirty minutes straight.

Hyunjin doesn’t consider being there for Seungmin now as returning the favor, though. He really genuinely cares about the boy. He doesn’t know what he’d do if Seungmin got hurt in any way, shape or form. The boy was his anchor, keeping him afloat. No one made him feel like Seungmin made him feel.

He felt  _ special.  _

And he liked that feeling a lot. 

Seungmin’s face finally returns to its normal honey color and Hyunjin quirks an eyebrow up, looking at Seungmin kindly, “Feeling okay now?” 

Seungmin nods and smiles, placing “Yeah, thanks Jinnie. I just got carried away with some random thoughts and they were bothering me a little bit.”

“Anytime.” Hyunjin replies matching Seungmin’s smile, “What are platonic soulmates for?”. 

_ I’d do anything for you, Minnie. _

* * *

It’s 9 am when Hyunjin and Seungmin find themselves in the center of the airport (after having gotten lost for 2 hours) with duty-free stores surrounding them on all ends. The glittery golden lights blend with the white light being filtered from the windows creating a bright scene in front of them. People are moving around with fervor, probably trying to get their hands on airport gifts to make up for missing Christmas

“I know we both probably have Christmas presents for each other,” Hyunjin starts, catching Seungmin’s attention. Seungmin nods, “Yeah, mine’s in my backpack.” 

Hyunjin smiles happily, “Same. Surprised you didn’t forget to get me a present.”

Seungmin pouted, “Okay that was one time, and I did buy you a Got7 album the day after.” 

Hyunjin snickered, ruffling Seungmin’s hair, messing it up even more. (Hyunjin preferred it this way though). “I know, I’m just teasing. Anyway, I was saying, maybe we could get some Christmas presents for each other, so we can remember the  _ best Christmas ever! _ ” 

Seungmin lips can’t help but twitch upwards at Hyunjin’s enthusiasm. “Sure. Meet back here in 3 hours?” 

“Works for me. I’ll see you soon, Minnie.” 

Hyunjin quickly presses a kiss to Seungmin’s hair, before leaving the younger standing dumbfounded in the middle of the airport. Once again it’s something he’s done many times in the past, but this time causes Seungmin to go in that dizzy haze again. Why is he seeing everything differently now?

It’s like he doesn’t mind it if Hyunjin kept kissing him, but Hyunjin’s his best friend. There’s nothing more to it. He can’t just ask Hyunjin to kiss him like that, because that’s something couples do, not best friends. 

He takes a deep breath or two to ground himself, before he looks around to search for a store to buy Hyunjin’s presents in. The various clothing stores embedded around Seungmin catch his eye, so, after making sure he has no idea where the hell Hyunjin is, he makes his way to the said store, hoping to hit a present jackpot. 

* * *

Hyunjin’s still a little thrown off from Seungmin’s minor dissociation earlier, and he’s slightly concerned about the younger’s well being now. Seungmin’s running non-stop through the back of his mind as he goes into a souvenir store. Seungmin was always one to collect knick knack from wherever he traveled, and Hyunjin always loved to bring Seungmin back things from where he went too. 

Hyunjin hopes Seungmin’s okay. He feels like a overprotective husband, and the idea of that makes Hyunjin blush in the middle of the store and rub the back of his neck aggressively. 

It’s kind of weird that Hyunjin’s one hundred percent okay with the idea. He can imagine holding Seungmin’s hand as they walk down the city streets with lights illuminating Seungmin’s face, giving him that angelic look that Hyunjin loved to observe. He can imagine sleepy days in where he pecks Seungmin on the forehead like he has in the past and they snuggle for warmth inside Changbin’s treehouse where they host sleepovers. He can imagine dancing with him under soft purple lights with Seungmin’s chin hooked on Hyunjin’s shoulder and there’s no one else in the world but the two of them. 

And the funny thing is: Hyunjin’s done all of this before with Seungmin, and it’s always felt so  _ right. _ When they went out shopping for Seungmin’s 18th birthday in the streets of New York City, it felt right. When Seungmin and Hyunjin went over to Changbin’s treehouse for a “Farewell class of ‘18” sleepover, and Hyunjin and Seungmin did end up snuggling the heck out of each other in the mornings, it felt right. When Hyunjin asked Seungmin to be his platonic date to the prom and they chose to slow dance, a laughing mess amongst all the couples making out in the crowd, it felt so freaking right. 

That’s when the epiphany hits him that maybe Seungmin’s meant so much more than a best friend to him because Hyunjin sees him in a romantic light, and everything makes so much more sense. That’s why he craved the warmth that Seungmin radiates; that’s why Hyunjin’s heart would ride a freaking rollercoaster every time Seungmin smiled.

Seungmin isn’t only Hyunjin’s platonic soulmate -- he is Hyunjin’s soulmate, period. Hyunjin just didn’t realize it because he didn’t know what love felt like. 

_ Seungmin’s my soulmate,  _ Hyunjin repeats in his mind as his jaw drops a little, catching the stares of a few people who wonder why Hyunjin’s standing in the middle of the store doing nothing,  _ How could I not have noticed sooner?! _

The revelation shakes him to the core, as initially, he’s excited to find Seungmin and announce his revelation with much gusto, before he realizes that this isn’t a fictional story, and that Seungmin probably doesn’t feel the same way.

Well actually, Hyunjin’s not really sure. He does want to know if Seungmin feels the same way.

And so, Hyunjin concludes that he wants to know if Seungmin returns these newfound feelings, and he’s going to find out as soon as possible. 

Wait, why was he here again?

Right, Christmas presents. 

Hyunjin looks around the shop, trying to find a souvenir Seungmin would appreciate, and something catches his eye. It’s in the corner of the shop and the light reflects off of it but at a single glance, Hyunjin can tell Seungmin will love it, and he makes his way towards it. 

New York City snow globes line the shelf he’s headed towards and he stops in front of it. There are so many designs of different structures and parts of the city, but only one catches Hyunjin eye, and it’s perfect. It has the cityscape of New York City, focusing on the arch that marked the center of the NYU Colleges of Arts and Sciences campus, the campus that Seungmin attended with his Journalism major and Hyunjin with his International Relations major. 

He has a lot of fond memories of the two of them in this particular part of New York. When it first snowed, Seungmin and Hyunjin eagerly went outside like five year old children and played around in the frozen area, as this was the first snow the two of them ever experienced. Hyunjin remembered flopping down and making snow angels, despite people staring, catching snowflakes on his tongue, and running around with Seungmin hitching a piggyback ride on Hyunjin’s back. It was amazing and if given the chance, Hyunjin would wholeheartedly repeat it just to observe the way the snow made Seungmin’s tousled hair look even softer or the way Seungmin’s smile was so warm, it could probably melt the snow around him. 

(They did end up getting colds after, but Hyunjin would relive the experience regardless) .

Hyunjin picked up the snow globe and vigorously shook it, watching as the glitter inside the globe fluttered around, before slowly sinking down and settling back at the bottom. 

Seungmin will definitely love it, he thinks, as he takes the snowglobe to be purchased and gift wrapped.

Now, to find something to do until they meet up again.

* * *

It’s almost noon and Seungmin finds himself lost on what to get Hyunjin. He’s found some good gifts, but none of them scream Hyunjin to him, and he’s slightly stressed. 

What can he get?

He wanders around the sixth store he’s entered, some souvenir store that hid between two large duty-free alcohol stores, and he half heartedly looks at what the store has to offer. 

Seungmin’s chosen to push down the weird dissociation incident earlier. He’s dissociated and felt detached before, in short doses, but never because Hyunjin triggered it. It’s strange, really, but once again, Seungmin’s not going to think about this now. Seungmin’s focus right now is to find a gift to give to Hyunjin. 

He smothers the thoughts and keeps looking and fortunately for him, something catches his eye and Seungmin ends up backtracking a bit. 

It’s absolutely beautiful. A charm bracelet sits on a table, and there’s different charms in bins that Seungmin could pick from, and Seungmin thinks it’s perfect. He picks up one of the bracelets, looking at the deal that said “Buy a Bracelet, Get 5 Charms Free!”. Seungmin rummages through these bins trying to find charms for Hyunjin. 

He finds one of a llama and one of a puppy and he sets those aside. It was always a fun joke between them -- Hyunjin often said Seungmin looked like a puppy, and Seungmin would retort by saying Hyunjin looked like a very tall llama. He picks out a charm of a globe next, because Hyunjin loved to travel the world and studied International Relations as a major. He picks out two intertwined hearts, because he thinks it represents him and Hyunjin as two platonic soulmates -- two hearts beating the same rhythm. Finally he finds a treehouse charm, and he thanks the lucky stars above him because he honestly didn’t expect to find something like that, and it’s so fitting, because a lot of the moments the two had together were under the roof of Changbin’s treehouse back home.

Five charms, five little metal icons that told the story of Seungmin and Hyunjin’s friendship, hung on a little bracelet? Seungmin hoped Hyunjin would love it. 

**   
“Hyunjinnie!” 

Hyunjin looks up to check out who just called his name and he finds Seungmin waving at him, with a gift bag in one hand, his roller bag in the other and his backpack slung over his shoulders. He looks like a real tourist in the city they’ve called home for the past year or two, and Hyunjin has to hold back a fond laugh. 

“Minnie!” 

“Got a gift?” Seungmin asks as he approaches Hyunjin, and Hyunjin holds up his little gift box in response with a grin on his face. 

“Yep. Do you want to go open them now-”

Before Hyunjin finishes, his phone rings and he hands his gift box to Seungmin to hold so he can answer his phone. The shitty wifi finally lets a video call from his mom through and Hyunjin accepts it immediately, dragging Seungmin and himself to a bench to sit down. Hyunjin’s mom, along with Seungmin’s mom, appears on the screen.

“Ma!” They exclaim in unison and their moms smile on camera.

“Hi you two,” Mrs. Hwang smiles, and Mrs. Kim waves, “How are you two doing?”

“We’re doing okay,” Seungmin reassures them, “It’s not as fun as back home but we’re trying to make the most of it here.” 

Seungmin’s mom coos, “I’m glad you two are doing okay. We miss you down here! We made your favorite foods and we’re about to watch Home Alone.” 

  
Hyunjin laughs, “I really want to be there right now.” 

Mrs. Hwang nods understandingly, “I know. All your friends are here too, they say Christmas isn’t the same without you two. It really isn’t. Any news on your flight?” 

“Damn blizzards,” Hyunjin laughs, disappointed that he couldn’t be there, “We’re still stuck here.”. Hyunjin’s one to get homesick really easily and Seungmin gives Hyunjin a look, probably sensing that something’s not right with the elder’s mood. Hyunjin shakes his head with a small smile, telling Seungmin to not worry about him now. 

“We’ll probably be back tomorrow or the day after,” Seungmin adds, “That’s when they’re predicting that the blizzard will let up and they can clear the runways.”

Mrs.Kim smiles, “Well, we’ll just have a second Christmas when you two get home!”

“Yeah,” Hyunjin nods, before the parents’ ends of the call begins to lag, “Dang it, the call is lagging again.” 

Mrs. Hwang’s brows furrow, “Can you hear us okay?” 

“It’s a little choppy,” Seungmin says. The video pans further away, and Hyunjin concludes their mothers are trying to get a better angle to “get signal” when the problem is really the crappy airport wi-fi. 

Mrs. Kim opens her mouth to say something but the call cuts off because of lost signal and Hyunjin sighs, “Well, that’s the second cut call today.” 

Seungmin sighs, “Yeah”. The younger then notices Hyunjin looking down at his sneakers scuffing the ground and he raises an eyebrow, “Are you okay?”. 

Hyunjin shrugs before Seungmin pulls him into a hug, sending the elder’s heart into newfound romantic loop-de-loops. The blonde sighs loudly as Seungmin runs his fingers through Hyunjin’s hair. 

“Not really,” Hyunjin starts, “I really want to be home right now. We ruined Christmas for everyone.” 

Seungmin hums soothingly. “I want to be home too,” he responds quietly, “But it’s not our fault we ended up stuck here. Don’t blame yourself for something that’s out of control, Jinnie. We couldn’t have controlled whether a blizzard would strike here on Christmas. We  _ can  _ try to make ourselves happy now, because Christmas didn’t go as expected, and when we get home, we can celebrate an even  _ better  _ Christmas with our families and friends. It’ll be the “hey it’s Christmas Part 2: Electric Boogaloo because Minnie and Jinnie couldn’t make it, except this Christmas will be even better!” Are you okay with us doing that?” 

Hyunjin giggles slightly, “Yeah, we can do that.” 

Seungmin beams as Hyunjin pulls away from the hug, “Let’s not let the gloomy weather outside ruin our Christmas.” 

Hyunjin nods, grateful that Seungmin’s always there to comfort him. He quickly presses a kiss to Seungmin’s forehead and smiles, “Thanks Minnie.”

Seungmin’s cheeks flush an amaranthine color but he smiles warmly, “Anytime Jinnie. Do you wanna get some lunch and then pass by the movie theater? If I remember correctly, they’re showing all three Home Alone movies in a row.” 

“Just like Christmas at home,” Hyunjin comments before nodding eagerly, “Let’s do that!” 

Seungmin grins as he stands up, “Great! Let’s go then.” 

Hyunjin quickly places the snowglobe in the box inside his backpack and zips it shut before taking Seungmin’s hand and the two make their way across the airport to where the restaurants are. Hyunjin watches as Seungmin attentively looks in front of him, making sure to weave through the crowds of people, and he finds the way his puppy eyes focus on every little detail stunning. 

Though, he isn’t going to say that out loud. Not just yet. 

* * *

It’s 6 PM and Seungmin and Hyunjin find themselves yawning while walking through the airport. They had a blast eating Subway for lunch and watching all three Home Alone movies in a row, and now they’re planning to find the big Christmas tree in the middle of the airport to gift each other the presents they had for each other. Hyunjin hums as Seungmin leans on the elder ( and takes advantage of the benefits of having a best friend who’s a few centimeters taller than you ) and the two look at the dark night sky and continuous snow outside of the windows. Seungmin looks at how the lights reflect on Hyunjin’s face, making him look like a Christmas angel, and he smiles to himself. Hyunjin was too attractive for his own good.

Those feelings from the dissociation resurface again, and Seungmin’s brows furrow slightly as he stamps them back down. Not today, not today. This is a problem Seungmin would deal with when Hyunjin wasn’t around. 

“You excited?” Hyunjin asks as the Christmas tree makes its way into their line of sight. Seungmin snaps out of his daze and nods, “Yep!” 

Hyunjin beams as they stop in front of the Christmas tree, grabbing both of Seungmin’s hands and holding it in his. Seungmin smiles, ignoring the heat crawling up his neck and giggles, “What are you doing?” 

“I don’t know, it feels nice though.” Hyunjin replies, before letting go of Seungmin’s hands. “Do you want to give your presents first? Or should I?” 

“You can go,” Seungmin offers and Hyunjin claps his hands eagerly before sliding off his backpack and setting it gently on the tiled floor beneath them. The lights of the tree shine on Hyunjin, reflecting every which way, as he pulls out his prepurchased present. It has glimmery purple wrapping paper and Seungmin smiles a little because he loves the color purple. Hyunjin hands it to Seungmin and their hands brush as Seungmin takes it. He carefully unwraps it, trying to find the tape and remove it to make as little of a mess as possible. 

Seungmin ends up gasping loudly upon seeing a Polaroid camera underneath the shiny purple wrapping and he grins widely, “Jinnie, you remembered!”

Hyunjin smiled and Seungmin gave the elder a quick hug, cherishing the warmth the elder radiated while gushing out compliments and gratitude for the present, “Thank you. I love this. You’re the best.”

“You’re welcome Minnie! You wanna give one of yours now?” 

Seungmin nods and digs in his bag to get Hyunjin’s present. He hands Hyunjin a wrapped gift and the elder is quick to tear apart the wrapping, leaving small shreds scattered on the ground and then the elder gasps equally as loud (if not louder) than Seungmin.

“A digital notebook?!” Hyunjin gapes, “This is so great, Minnie! Exactly what I needed.”

Seungmin giggles, “Yeah I remembered you complaining about note taking on paper, and I wanted to help you out! Plus, you can draw to your heart’s content on this.”

“It’s amazing,” Hyunjin breathes, “Just like you. Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome! And also, I could say the same about my gift and you.” 

Hyunjin rolls his eyes playfully before he asks, “Souvenir time?”

Seungmin nods eagerly, “Souvenir time.” 

Hyunjin squats down in his bag and pulls out an unwrapped gift box, handing it to Seungmin and the younger gently takes it, handling it with caution just in case. He opens the box and exclaims, “It’s a snowglobe! Damn it’s so pretty.” 

Hyunjin smiles warmly, rubbing the back of his neck, and making Seungmin’s heart melt at his endearing appearance, “It reminded me of our first snow day here, and I thought maybe you’d like to have it.” 

Seungmin nods, giving the snow globe a shake, “It’s so pretty! And it’s the campus, too! I love it, Jinnie.”

_ Literally who asked him to be so amazing? _ Seungmin wonders as he watches Hyunjin’s face light up in happiness,  _ I’m really lucky to have him in my life. Maybe I should tell him that. _

“I’m really lucky to have you in my life,” Seungmin blurts out, and Hyunjin looks surprised at the sudden comment, “I don’t know where I’d be without you.” 

Hyunjin hugs Seungmin in response to that comment and Seungmin laughs as Hyunjin replies, “Same here. I’m really lucky to have you in  _ my  _ life. Also it’s not often you compliment people like that, are you okay?” 

Seungmin huffs playfully, “Jinnie-”

“I’m kidding, I really do appreciate the sentiment.” Hyunjin snickers as he releases Seungmin. “You wanna give your souvenir to me?” 

Seungmin nods excitedly, “I think you’ll really like it!” 

“Surprise me, then,” Hyunjin replies jovially as Seungmin pulls out the tiny gift bag that held Hyunjin’s charm bracelet. He hands it to the elder and Hyunjin digs inside the bag and his eyes light up as he pulls out a charm bracelet. He takes a second to observe each charm, somehow understanding the meaning behind each one and he whispers in disbelief:

“It’s so beautiful, Minnie.” 

Seungmin’s heart swells with that unfamiliar feeling upon making Hyunjin smile like that, and it makes Seungmin grin in return as Hyunjin slides the bracelet on, “I’m never going to take this off. Like ever. I love it so much.”

Seungmin laughs, “I’m glad you do.”

Hyunjin looks at Seungmin kindly, taking the younger’s hand in his, “Seriously Minnie, your gifts were amazing.”

“So were yours Jinnie. I think this was a good end to our Christmas.” 

Hyunjin’s eyebrow quirks up at the last part of Seungmin’s statement and the younger is confused by Hyunjin’s reaction, “Are we not done yet?” 

“We still have six hours, Minnie. What if we put that camera of yours to good use? We could just capture some memories from here for a little bit.”

“Okay,” Seungmin says, “But then we sleep. I’m exhausted.” 

Hyunjin nods in agreement, “Same.” 

With that, the two pick up their bags and begin to stroll hand in hand through the airport, conversing about what they were going to do when they got home, until Hyunjin halts in his tracks and looks up slowly, almost like there was an anvil about to fall on his head. 

Seungmin, being held back by Hyunjin’s hand, turns around to look at Hyunjin, and upon seeing the elder looking up, he looks up as well and his eyes widen.

There’s a mistletoe hanging from the freaking ceiling. 

And Seungmin and Hyunjin are underneath it. 

Seungmin’s weird unfamiliar feelings and dissociation-associated emotions resurface and he’s about to just drag himself and Hyunjin away from the mistletoe to evade the problem, but before he can, Hyunjin pipes up meekly. 

“I mean, it wouldn’t hurt right? I’m fine with kissing.” he says, and Seungmin looks back at the elder, surprised. Seungmin hesitates, as this would be his first kiss  _ ever _ , and he wanted it to be with someone he cherished and cared about deeply.

And then Seungmin realizes this is  _ Hyunjin  _ who he’s about to kiss; Hyunjin’s had his first kiss before (Jisung before the boy started dating Felix), and Hyunjin’s his best friend. He can’t find a more suitable person in the world with whom he’d have his first kiss. So he chooses to agree, nodding shyly, “It wouldn’t hurt. It’s my first kiss, though.”

Hyunjin’s eyes are gentle as he smiles, saying softly, “I know, Minnie. I’ll make it special for you.” 

Seungmin flushes as he nods and squeaks out a flustered response in return, “Okay.” 

Hyunjin sets his bags down and Seungmin mimics the elder before the two look each other in the eyes. Seungmin takes a second to admire the golden flecks in Hyunjin’s eyes before Hyunjin asks him if he’s ready. Seungmin smiles nervously, nodding, and Hyunjin giggles a little, before the blonde leans in, closing his eyes. Seungmin doesn’t really know what to expect so he closes his eyes too, pursing his lips a little as Hyunjin’s soft lips meet his. 

And for those few seconds when their mouths collide, Seungmin feels this newfound rush through his body. This feels natural, he realizes as he kisses back, much to Hyunjin’s and his own surprise. This feels right. Seungmin can imagine kissing Hyunjin like this every day and that’s when he realizes that’s what boyfriends do, not best friends.

_ That makes so much more sense,  _ Seungmin thinks. Maybe the reason Seungmin feels all these unfamiliar feelings and panics involving Hyunjin is because he likes Hyunjin as more than a friend. Scratch that. Seungmin’s pretty sure he loves Hyunjin more than a lot of things in this universe. 

Why did it take him so long to realize this? 

A few seconds after the kiss was initiated, it ends with Hyunjin pulling away and smiling. “How was it?”

“It was amazing,” Seungmin murmurs, smiling shyly and Hyunjin beams in pride, before saying, “I’ve wanted to do that for the past… 9 hours, I think.” 

Seungmin’s taken by surprise. Hyunjin’s been wanting to kiss him? Does this mean that the elder liked Seungmin? 

  
Hyunjin reads the confused look on Seungmin’s face before he elaborates, “I kinda just realized I’ve been having feelings for you for a while when we were shopping for gifts for each other. I didn’t know if you’d feel the same way, but I’ve been wanting to tell you and I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a little while-”

“Well, you’re faster than me in figuring that out.” Seungmin giggles, and Hyunjin’s eyes widen, “Wait, what?” 

“I kind of just had the revelation that I love you while I was kissing you,” Seungmin comments and Hyunjin blinks, processing the information, before a smile breaks out on his face, “Really?” 

“Really,” Seungmin replies, “It felt so right kissing you, and I was like: maybe I wouldn’t mind it if you didn’t stop kissing me. And then I realized that it’s because I have feelings for you.” 

“Minnie-” Hyunjin pulls the younger into a hug “-I’m so glad that you feel the same way! This is so exciting, oh my goodness.” 

Seungmin giggles wrapping his arms around Hyunjin’s neck, “Yeah, it really is!”

Then a question escapes the younger’s lips, “Does this make us boyfriend and boyfriend? I’d love to give it a try.” 

Hyunjin pauses to think for one second before responding happily. 

“I’d love to be boyfriends. Of course, we can ease into everything, since we both literally realized things today,” Hyunjin adds, “But for now, we’re still under the mistletoe. You want to make things official and seal it with a kiss?” 

“You’re so cheesy,” Seungmin giggles as he looks up at the elder, “But yes, I’d love that!” Hyunjin removes his arms from where they’re wrapped around the small of Seungmin’s back and places his hands on Seungmin’s hips as he leans in again. Seungmin braces himself for the exhilarating sensation that came from Hyunjin’s kiss and the elder’s lips meet his again. This time, Seungmin tries kissing back with more fervor and it seems to work as Hyunjin deepens the kiss, holding Seungmin tighter as he swipes his tongue over Seungmin’s bottom lip. Seungmin gasps at the weird sensation and Hyunjin’s about to make this tame kiss very French before they hear a little kid shout, “Mama! Look! They’re kissing!”

That’s when Hyunjin and Seungmin realize they’re in a public place and separate, very red faced. “Sorry,” Seungmin sheepishly apologizes to the kid’s mother who wears a look mixed between “I want to shield my child from all impurity” and “Ah, young love, let’s see how long that lasts”. The lady merely shrugs before dragging her child away. Seungmin and Hyunjin step away from the mistletoe and they lace their fingers together after gathering their luggage, giggling as they choose to go take pictures of each other in the airport, no longer as best friends, but boyfriends. 

* * *

It’s 3PM on December 26th when they finally clear the runways for flights again and Seungmin and Hyunjin manage to get on the first flight back to San Antonio. Seungmin’s about to switch off his phone for the flight when Hyunjin texts him, despite being in the plane seat next to his.

**3:00PM || Dec 26**

**ew, [platonic] soulmates 🤮 (2)**

**mahna mahna:**

you look really cute right now

Seungmin rolls his eyes playfully, shooting Hyunjin a friendly glare before texting back.

**do do do do do:**

hold up

**_do do do do do_ ** _ has renamed  _ **_mahna mahna_ ** _ to  _ **_flirty mf_ **

Hyunjin giggles before exacting payback.

**_flirty mf_ ** _ has renamed  _ **_do do do do do_ ** _ to  _ **_flustered mf_ **

Seungmin snorts before an idea hits him and he smiles fondly as he types away at the message settings.

**_flustered mf_ ** _ has renamed the chat to  _ **_yum, soulmates_ ** **💕**

**flustered mf:**

i think that suits us much better

**flirty mf:**

it definitely does

**flustered mf:**

yep :D

also we’re right next to each other switch off your phone xx

**flirty mf:**

:0

oki

Seungmin switches off his phone and looks at his boyfriend of almost 21 hours, who smiles playfully in return, before his lips perform their own landing on Seungmin’s.

(When the couple returns home a few hours later, their friends don’t stop pestering them about their new relationship, but neither of them really mind. They wouldn’t have spent the holidays any other way). 

**Author's Note:**

> YEP SEUNGJIN CUTIES i had no regrets writing this, and i decided to dump the whole bottle of tooth rotting fluff on this fic -- my heart was literally eroding while writing the mistletoe scene. (though that might be from my obsession with swiss miss hot chocolate as well. mmm diabetes prone genetics). anyway i love these losers [seungjin] so much.
> 
> i hope you guys have an amazing christmas (or chris-mas if i should dub it that way HAHAHA I'm having a merry crisis) & if i don't poke my head out from the rock i live under anytime next week with the changlix im working on, have a happy new year as well! 
> 
> see you soon/see you next year!! 2021 will hopefully be a little better <3  
> 


End file.
